Satire Alive and Well in Thailand – Not the Nation

The Bangkok journalistic community is scrambling around trying to work out who is behind nothenation.com, a satirical news site taking its name from prominent Bangkok newspaper, The Nation.

One expat journalist commented:

‘It is a miracle the guy hasn’t been shut down. It is a great journo’s game in town to try and work out who it is.’

Leading stories include the likes of:

Political-Color-Fetish Sex Requests

According to Bee{a prostitute], ‘no one wants me to dress as a schoolgirl or a swimsuit model anymore. They want me to wear a short-cropped t-shirt, yellow or red, that either says ‘Save the king’ or ‘Thaksin my hero.’_

Burmese Junta Overthrown By Online Petition

Despite some surprise at the speed of the junta’s capitulation, international analysts generally agree that the developments simply confirm the unstoppable potency of online petitions to enact political change.

World Media Soldiers On As Killer Virus Destroys Humanity

Many people about to die everywhere agreed that the media deserved praise for their stoicism. Said one: ‘Every day, when I read about the impending decimation of populations around the world, and indeed about my own imminent death, I am in awe of these reporters who just carry on as if there will still be a tomorrow.‘

It’s anyone’s guess how long the Thai government will continue to allow access to the site and if the owner has any sense it will have been hosted abroad. Either way it’s a shot in the arm for the Asian journalistic expat community who are so used to watching their words that they end up not saying anything at all.